Tag Archives: Tips For Avoiding Tennis Injuries

Tennis is a sport most of us have tried at some time or other. Many of us play regularly at a local club as an important part of our social life as well as helping us to keep fit. Almost anyone of any age can enjoy the game but it is easy to pick up a painful injury without a little thought and preparation beforehand.

Common injuries include sprains – particularly to ankles, calf muscles, knees and wrists, rotator cuff injuries to the shoulder, ‘Tennis Elbow’ and injuries to the back ranging from disc compression to strains.

Many of us take to the tennis court without proper preparation. Adam Rocchi, Chiropractor Perth, says that he and his sports chiropractor team see many tennis injuries at the Spinescan Practice and has put together some tips that could prevent injury spoiling your game.

1. Have an Exercise Plan

It is very important to build the strong muscles that protect our spine and joints from injury. Building these muscles will not happen overnight; it is a gradual process and having an exercise plan that fits in with your lifestyle but which will help to protect you from picking up an injury is a long-term commitment. Your Chiropractor Perth can help you in reaching your fitness goals with a manageable exercise plan that is right for you.

2. Have a Warm Up and Warm Down Routine

It is very important to warm up your muscles before exercise and to stretch them correctly afterwards. It does not have to be complicated -a short, simple routine is all you need to protect your muscles and help to prevent stiffness after exercise. If in doubt, ask your Chiropractor to help you devise a routine.

3. Know What to Eat and When!

Your sports Chiropractor can provide nutritional advice on diet and supplementation to help you get the best out of your body. For example, food is the fuel we put into our bodies. Running low on fuel during a long tennis match is the time when muscles are most prone to injury. Following advice on what to eat will help prevent your body from running out of fuel and picking up an injury.

4. Listen to Your Body!

Pain is the way our bodies tell us that something is wrong. Ignore it at your peril! You can avoid worsening an injury by stopping as soon as pain strikes instead of trying to carry on. Using ice or heat packs or alternating these will help immediately after an injury, seeing your Chiropractor as soon as possible and taking advice on the care and rehabilitation of your injury will help to speed up recovery time.

5. Choose Your Sports Gear with Care

Protect your feet and ankles with good quality tennis shoes providing the right level of support for the shape of your foot. If you are prone to ankle injuries, you can choose padded cuff ankle socks or an ankle brace for even more support.

Your tennis racquet choice is crucial. Apart from size and weight, the single most important thing to get right is the grip as this will be crucial in protecting your wrist from injury. If you have injured your wrist in the past, you may want to give yourself a little extra protection with a wrist support.

Your Chiropractor Perth is not just there for when you have an injury that is keeping you off the tennis courts, he can also help to ensure you stay injury free. Call Spinescan Chiropractic today on either (08) 61508783 Mount Pleasant or (08) 61508785 Scarborough. Don’t let injury sideline you and prevent you enjoying the sport you love.